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Posts Tagged ‘Coffee Beans’

Why Kona Coffee is The King Of Gourmet Coffee

Sunday, March 21st, 2010

If you ever wondered why different coffee have obtained the titles “best” and “only for gourmets” and “coffee beans of the year” Timothy Schwartz, The Coffee Brewster, wrote a nice article about

Why Kona Coffee is Unmatched by Any Other Bean in the World

Coffee aficionados, all around the world, can agree that the type of coffee bean you use to brew is the determining factor on the quality of the coffee brewed. Whether you are a coffee snob or not, it’s important to educate yourself on what’s available on the market today.

Exotic locations and blends are well advertised because of the quality each possesses in the bean and oils. Places like Hawaii, Sumatra, Tanzania and Kenya are often seen on packaging, that boasts rich smooth flavor. But no one can argue that Kona Coffee is labeled one of the best varieties of coffee beans in the world.

What makes this coffee bean so special? Kona Coffee is harvested on the windy mountains of Hawaii. Mostly from the Hualalai and Mauna Loa mountains, these coffee beans are hailed to be the best tasting coffee world round. This is the only place where Kona Coffee is grown. They are harvested and processed into 100-pound bundle sacks and flown to places all around the globe.

These shiny green beans are left unroasted. This enables the bean to keep its flavor and aroma for the duration of the delivery. Often times, the Kona Coffee bean is blended with other lesser beans to enhance the overall flavor. This combination is known to be Kona Blend. Still delicious in flavor and texture, this Coffee Kona blend is only about 10% pure Kona bean. Although some coffee purists may cry out in vain, most people don’t mind the taste of this blend. In fact, most people seem to not care but just enjoy the coffee nonetheless. Only those who are willing to pay the premium for a 100% cup of Kona Coffee can enjoy it in all its glory. It will cost a fortune.

The Secret to Kona Coffee

But in all honestly, how does the Kona Coffee Bean set itself apart from the rest of the coffee on the market? Surely, there are other rival beans? Mainly due to the tropical climate and rich volcanic soil can the Kona Bean have its distinct richness, unmatched by any other bean?

The body of the Kona Coffee is full with flavor and has minute subtle cues of win and spices. Amongst all the Kona Coffee Bean Types, Peaberry is the most wanted variety. However, the Peabody variety didn’t originate from Hawaii. Reverend Samuel Ruggles brought it over there back in the early 1800, during his missionary working in the area. As time went on, coffee production was a way of income for the people. Despite the rise and fall of coffee through the years, Kona is still ranked and coveted by coffee lovers worldwide.

However, coffee buffs also know that the roasting plays just as important a role in the quality of the coffee made. It goes hand in hand with in the quest of the perfect cup of Kona coffee. Roasting is considered an art form. It can transform the bean into the embodiment of pure enjoyment for the taster. Growing the perfect coffee bean requires the same care and expertise as the roaster. Weather conditions and soil lay the foundation for it. This is the reason why the Kona Bean is seen as unmatched due to the ideal climate and fertile soil it’s farmed in.

Now you can understand why Kona is so praised by coffee lovers all around the world. If you haven’t considered enjoying a cup of Kona Coffee, why not start today? There are many delicious blends available at your local coffee shop and grocery store. You won’t regret it.

Want Starbucks flavor at home? Check out my blog for Breville Espresso Reviews and other Breville Espresso Machines. Timothy Schwartz, The Coffee Brewster, reviews and puts his taste buds and wallet on the line.

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Tags: Best Tasting Coffee, Coffee Beans, Gourmet Coffee, Kona Coffee, Smooth Flavor
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Is A French Press Enough To Make Gourmet Coffee?

Wednesday, March 17th, 2010

French Press from Illy Coffee

One of the best ways to brew coffee is without electricity and filters! That’s right, you guessed it – it is with the use of a French Press. So many coffee lovers prefer a French Press because it gives them the opportunity to brew a more flavorful type of Java. This is something that is highly beneficial because it will work to leave the essential oils of the coffee within the final brew, which is something that you can’t find with your traditional drip brew coffee maker.

The truth of the matter is that regular paper filters trap the essential oils of the coffee beans, which is what gives them their delicious flavor. This is something important to take into consideration because when you brew with a Coffee Press, you will have the best of both worlds in fresh and delicious coffee that is also more flavorful than you may have experienced before.

The first thing to keep in mind is that there is a specific way to brew with a Coffee Press that will give you the best results in your cup of Joe! To begin with, you can boil water in a kettle on the stove or in a pan on your stovetop. The important thing to remember is to allow the water to cool slightly because you don’t want to mix boiling water with the fresh coffee grounds. If the water is boiling, it can mix with the coffee grounds, and it will cause them to have a burnt or bitter taste as a result. It is important to have hot water to your liking, but not boiling, to use with your French Press.

The next thing to contribute to your success in brewing with a Coffee Press is the grind of your coffee. It is important for your coffee to be coarse ground, which will offer better results overall in a fresh brew. If your coffee grounds are too fine, they could clog the filter of your Coffee Press, and they can also leave sediment in the bottom of your cup of Joe. You can set your home grinder to coarse for brewing with a French Press. It is so important that your coffee is freshly ground with this type of brew method and also with any other way that you brew your cup of Joe. The truth is that coffee grounds begin to go stale within 30 seconds, so if you do not freshly grind them yourself, then you are missing out on premium and fresh Java!

Last of all, make sure to wait four minutes for the coffee within your Coffee Press to steep. That’s all! Most people don’t realize that it only takes four minutes to brew with a French Press, and it is also eco-friendly because it does not use paper filters or electricity. When you use a French Press for your coffee brewing, you can take it with you camping, in travel, or even to your office to enjoy a delicious cup of Joe at any time.

For a great selection of all things coffee, check out Mark Ramos’ website, The Coffee Bump.

What Type of Coffee Grind Should I Use With My French Press?

So which type of coffee grind is best suitable? It can be your favourite coffee beans. You can choose from coffee Arabic or robusta or any other gourmet coffee you might want. Just make sure you grind it coarsely.

In other brewers, finer grind consistency is better because water can flow in effortlessly to extract most of the flavour. In this brewer, though, you will need only coarse settings. This brewer does not require a filter so finer grinds will surely sink to the bottom of the machine even before it has begun brewing. The coarser ones will be able to prevent penetrating in the bottom of the machine so it works better.

Also, coarse settings are already enough to produce flavourful coffee. If you use the finer ones, it can already extract too much coffee oil. This is the caveat in French press brewers. Despite coarse consistency of grinds, it still extracts so much essential oil. Nutritionists claim that although coffee is a good antioxidant, the oil can cause high cholesterol level. This contributes to the development of many diseases. Using this machine in moderation is called for.

So how does it really work?
It does not use electricity. It comes in various sizes. Just fill up the coffee basket with coarse grounds and pump it using the pumping rod attached on top of it. Of course, you will need to fill it up with water. This is mixed together with coffee grounds. The pumping motion will help release essential oils and mixes it with water.

The brewed coffee goes straight to the bottom of the machine. After brewing, remove the pump attachments and pour yourself a cup of freshly brewed coffee. This makes up a total coffee experience.

It is advisable to drink it up right away and not store it. Due to the lack of filter, some coffee grounds can penetrate and mix up with your brewed coffee. If you store it for a longer period of time, the coffee will taste bitter.

If you are after an ultimate coffee experience, try French press coffee machines. At least once in your life you will get to try drinking coffee brewed by this brewer. You will be pleasantly surprised with the difference in taste.

Check out grind and brew coffee makers and other type of grind and brew coffee machines units at http://www.grindandbrewcoffeemaker.org

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Tags: Brew Coffee Maker, Coffee Beans, Coffee Grounds, Coffee Press, Delicious Coffee, Essential Oils, French Press
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Do You Need Premium Coffee Beans To Get Gourmet Flavored Coffee?

Thursday, March 11th, 2010

Gourmet flavored coffee – that alone conjures up images of piping hot mugs of freshly brewed coffee being served after dinner at an elite restaurant as you enjoy your crepe suzette. Is it an advertising gimmick to get you to spend more on certain coffees or is there truly a difference. The fact is, gourmet flavored coffees are real and they aren’t for the elite alone. In fact, you can probably find a gourmet flavored coffee in a lot of homes and offices.

The popularity of gourmet flavored coffee has soared. For years the only gourmet flavored coffees were the instant coffees available in your local grocery. Although they are quite flavorful, they aren’t nearly as tasty as a pot of freshly ground gourmet flavored coffee can be.

Coffee roasters realized that people like variety and of course they took notice of those instant flavored coffees and coffee drinks and began working on making the coffee bean flavored. Other coffee roasters didn’t go for exotic flavored coffees; instead they focused on the growing and roasting of the bean itself to make a gourmet flavor.

Beans that are grown in certain regions are considered more desirable than those in other regions. Think back to those Juan Valdez commercials. They were marketing the Columbian bean as being a more flavorful and sought after bean. The Jamaican Blue Forest Bean is one of the most sought after gourmet beans due to its rich taste and enchanting aroma. This bean is proof that gourmet flavor can come from the bean itself, not necessarily as an addition during roasting.

The Bean and the Flavor

Gourmet flavors can be added during the roasting process to enhance or totally alter the flavor of the coffee. There is one central premise that gourmet coffee roasters all follow in order for their coffee to be considered truly gourmet and that is the bean they start with. No matter what additions or flavors they add during roasting, starting off with an inferior bean will create an inferior coffee.

Although there are more than 25 major types of coffee beans in the world, there are two beans that are considered the major players in gourmet flavored coffees, the Arabica bean and the Robusta bean.

The Arabica bean is used in more than 60% of all gourmet coffee production around the world. This bean is very delicate and prone to disease, pest and ailments from the weather. These reasons alone make it a more costly bean. The Arabica bean is used both as a gourmet coffee on its own and as a base for gourmet flavored coffees. The taste of the Arabica bean depends on where it is grown.

The Robusta bean accounts for about 40% of coffee production in the world. Robusta beans are easier to grow which makes them less expensive. This does not mean that they are any less flavorful than Arabica beans. Robusta, as the name implies, have a stronger, darker flavor than Arabica beans and can be used to give the gourmet flavored coffee a little more punch.

Oftentimes gourmet roasters will use a blend of Arabica and Robusta coffee beans as the base to their gourmet flavored coffee. Then, during the roasting process they will add enhancements such as chocolate syrups or caramel to flavor the coffee. Flavoring oils can also be used to flavor the coffee as well as chemical compounds that are created to mimic flavors.

Gourmet flavored coffee that presents itself as naturally flavored should have the most robust coffee base as well as a subtle flavoring. Flavored coffees that have been flavored using a chemical process lose some of their natural coffee characteristics during the flavoring process.

Flavored coffees have come a long way in recent years. From deep, robust coffee that has been dark roasted to those wonderful vanilla bean gourmet flavored coffees, coffee lover’s palettes can be tantalized with a variety of coffee flavors. No longer set aside for the elite, gourmet coffees can be bought at the local grocer or coffee shop by most anyone.

More info: Sharon V Chapman writes on the joys of coffee and provides information on gourmet flavored coffee and gourmet coffee in general.

Tags: Coffee Beans, Flavored Coffees, Gourmet Coffee Roasters, Gourmet Flavored Coffee, Rich Taste
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Grind Coffee Extra Work for Fresh and Great Taste

Monday, March 8th, 2010

Ah, that nice relaxing cappuccino can really hit the spot, huh? There’s simply nothing quite comparable to that morning or evening cup of hot brew. You pop in the filter on your coffee pot; you pour in the fresh water, and then comes the java itself. Yep, that’s the true key to a great tasting cup of Joe.

You grip that coffee can and peel off the lid and snag a big heaping scoop. Huh? Wait a minute. That’s not really what you’re doing is it? I mean, you’re not actually going to pour those old coffee grounds into your filter are you? This is a major mistake. Although you may have sipped on the stale stuff for years, that doesn’t make it a great cup of coffee. In fact, it’s time you took a good look around.

There is far to much quality java out there to settle for the canned stuff. It’s time to purchase some freshly roasted beans and grind coffee on your own.

Do you grind coffee daily? You know, to get that wonderful, fresh cup from your drip pot every morning. This is crucial in the java world. Unless you want to settle for a very bland cup of coffee, I suggest you get in the know. No more canned garbage. I don’t care if you’re not into the whole coffee house craze. You can still take advantage of some simple tools and grind coffee at home. It’s well worth it once you taste a cup.

The great part is that it’s so easy to do. You have a home computer, right? Well, get online and start browsing for hand-held coffee grinders or a “manual coffee grinder”. You can purchase these rather cheap and keep the in your home kitchen. In addition, you’ll need freshly roasted coffee beans to grind coffee each morning, or evening. Basically whenever you prefer a nice hot cup of java. Now, this may sound like a great deal of work, but I assure you it’s simple.

The coffee industry has infinite coffee suppliers for you to choose from. Pick up a pound of beans online and give it a shot. You can take a portion of beans each time you wish to make a pot, and then grind coffee for that fresh aroma and flavor. This will change the entire way you view your morning cup of Joe.

If you are looking to grind coffee for your home java experience, then hop online now. Pick up some whole bean coffee and a personal grinder for a low cost in cyberspace. Finally you’ll enjoy that great cup of coffee that wasn’t ground years ago.

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Tags: Cappuccino, Coffee Beans, Coffee Grinder, Coffee Grounds, Coffee Suppliers, Quality Java
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The Coffee Industry – Facts & Fiction behind the great taste of “Java”

Monday, March 8th, 2010

There are many trends that sweep the nation each year. Some are localized to certain areas or regions and others are nation wide. Some are fleeting and others seem to have a great impact on our society.
One such impact has been the coffee industry.

Over the past several years the coffee industry has exploded across the nation. This can be seen by the number of coffee shops that seem to be popping up on every corner of every large city and small town.

In the past a cup of coffee was seen as a morning beverage that some people enjoyed. Coffee was also served to accompany dessert at the end of a meal. Today coffee is created. You no longer ask for a cup
of coffee, you have to recite a description of every ingredient you want in your cup. Ordering a cup of coffee and waiting for it to be prepared is now a 5 minute event, and the coffee industry is grinning
all the way to the bank.

Coffee has always been slightly more costly than other consumable items that are purchased, but with its increase in popularity the costs are on a steady rise. The days of coffee being a complimentary beverage along with a meal are coming to an end.

The coffee industry is making an effort to treat the coffee growers more fairly. As the popularity in coffee has increased throughout our country the coffee industry has been studied more closely. These studies have caused grave concern for many people. Historically the coffee industry has paid the coffee grower a very minimal sum for the coffee beans. The growing, harvesting and sorting of coffee beans is extremely labor intensive. Many people have thought that this is why coffee is so expensive.

In reality
it is the coffee broker, who acts as the middle man between grower and buyer, which the industry pays the largest sum of money to. The coffee broker uses the language barrier and lack of financial knowledge
against the coffee grower to pay very little for the coffee beans. The broker in turn charges the coffee buyer the true value of the beans. The result is that the grower is paid pennies for their labor and the broker gets rich and the consumer still pays a high cost for coffee.

Things are improving in the coffee industry with the development of fair trade commissions. There is also the equally traded commission that has helped educate the coffee grower so they get a fair price for
their product. By taking part in fair trade commissions organizations and individuals can purchase coffee directly from the grower, which gives him fair compensation and also takes the broker out of the loop. This is helping to make the coffee industry more grower friendly.

The coffee industry still has some things to change before it is completely equitable, but the increased consumption of coffee should give them incentive to run a fairer trade operation.

Start a Coffee Shop

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Tags: Coffee Beans, Coffee Growers, Coffee Industry, Coffee Shops
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Great Coffee Flavors – It All Starts With Coffee Beans

Monday, March 8th, 2010

Coffee Bean seeds that are produced by coffee plants are called coffee beans. Though they are referred to as normal beans in reality these coffee beans are the utmost beautiful part of the entire plant. The coffee plant shows red or purple fruits that are some times referred to as cherries or berries of coffee and the diamonds that are inside are the’beans’ the main source to your cup of coffee. The stones lying with flat sides together usually construct the coffee beans. This is the bean that makes coffee. A small number of any coffee beans crop cherries have a single bean in the cherries instead of the usual two. Some berries are called pea berries.

Coffee beans facts:

Some 0.8% to 2.5% of caffeine is held in the endosperm of coffee seeds or beans. The caffeine origin gives them the exotic flavor. Many kinds of the coffee plants are and the seeds of each kind produce coffee having slightly different tastes. Choices can be acquired with different flavors of genetic subspecies.

Coffee beans are a big time product of the import-export trade business of several countries. Coffee beans from the Arabica species makes up the bigger portion (70-75%) of world coffee beans trade. Another important coffee species is the Coffee canephor.

Manufacturing coffee beans:

Coffee beans are processed before they are prepared for use in preparing for exotic of regular coffee flavor such uses are, espresso, latte, cappuccino and other special coffee drinks using cool coffee makers- espresso machines. The process begins with coffee beans being removed from coffee cherries. The fruit is then thrown away or made up as fertilizer. The beans or seeds of coffee is then ground up and used in beverages of various kinds using a coffee makers or espresso machine.

Coffee beans and espresso beans:

The difference between ordinary coffee beans and the espresso beans, the espresso beans tend to be a synthetic of some sort made from original coffee beans. These are always some what dark roast like a Vienna or light French roast. This is a trade secret. Even though the formula of the mix/blend can be found the exact amounts or contents cannot be easily found out.

Coffee Beans and Flavoring:

The process when adding flavor to coffee beans begins with an attempt to work upon their natural flavor and meet some purpose. Natural organic oils are used, usually only a half an ounce of oil is added to a pound of beans for flavoring.

The most important concern of all coffee lovers is the flavor, tlc needs to be given to ensure that the best flavor is obtained from coffee beans. This is very crucial in the preparation of espresso, cappuccino, latte and all other coffee beverages. The greatest coffee makers and espresso machines can deliver the best results, and brew the perfecto coffee. Most of the world use class A coffee makers and excellent coffee beans.

The real flavor of coffee beans starts developing with the growth of the coffee plant and is influenced by the climate where it grows. The most particular species of the coffee plant also matters in when developing the flavor.

Roasting help’s bring out the best flavors, roasting the coffee beans is the most important process that helps bring out the real flavor of the beans. The carbohydrate’s and fat of the coffee beans get transformed to aromatic oils by the heat. This gives it rise and ads to the great coffee flavor which is loved by people all over the world.

Different types of roasting:

Coffee beans have different effects when the coffee is produced. While light roasted produces light coffee beans flavor the medium roast leads to a sweeter and fuller-coffee. Dark roasted requires a long roasting time and produces a much spicier and sweeter tasting coffee.

Choosing the best coffee beans and ensuring their freshness:

The best coffee beans that should be selected. You can determined this from the place where they are procured from. The coffee planted in a special area’s and influenced by there climate produces a much more distinctive flavor. The Arabica coffee is considered the very best. Most gourmet coffee’s are made using this coffee bean flavor.

Keeping coffee beans fresh is so very important. They must be kept sealed in an air tight container, for freshness. Only then can you get to enjoy perfectly flavored coffee drink. It is always preferable to have a good coffee grinder at home to prepare freshly ground coffee. Pre ground coffee beans often lacks most of the flavor and aroma that are the enjoyment of premium coffee.

Are you looking for the perfect cup of coffee? Try visiting Coffee Beans, a website that specializes in providing coffee advice, tips and resources to including information on the coffee grinder.

Tags: Coffee Beans, Coffee Cherries, Coffee Flavors, Coffee Plant, Espresso Coffee, Import Export Trade, World Coffee
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